Children are being treated for Adenovirus infection in the National Children's Hospital in Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – A 13-month-old baby has died after becoming infected with Adenovirus – the ninth child fatality this year.

The child died at the National Children's Hospital on Monday and is not thought to have any health issues but had been treated for the past 50 days and recently needed a ventilator.

Of the nine deaths related to the Adenovirus at the National Children's Hospital, there were four children with underlying diseases such as congenital heart disease, cancer, encephalitis, and multi-organ failure, and three patients with acute illness, co-infection with other viruses and bacteria.

In recent days, the number of children infected with the virus has increased dramatically.

The National Children’s Hospital in Hà Nội has recorded nearly 2,900 cases of Adenovirus in just three weeks from September 12 to October 2.

The patients are mainly children aged one to three years old.

According to Assoc., Prof. Trần Minh Điển, the hospital’s director, infected cases tend to increase rapidly week by week from mid-September.

Since the beginning of the year, the hospital has recorded more than 3,130 cases.

The number of patients with Adenovirus has not only increased compared to previous years but also hospitalisation rate was high, accounting for over 50 per cent of detected cases.

According to the hospital’s statistics, 2,344 patients with Adenovirus are from Hà Nội, accounting for 75 per cent of the total number of patients. Provinces of Bắc Ninh and Hưng Yên recorded more than 100 cases each.

As of October 3, the National Children’s Hospital still treating around 300 cases, of which more than 40 are in severe and critical conditions including six patients on ventilation, two cases of ECMO, two cases needing dialysis.

Meanwhile, the Paediatric Centre of Bạch Mai Hospital registers 13 cases of Adenovirus infections from September 24-30, of which there are two patients using ventilator support.

The centre has also set up separate treatment rooms for Adenovirus patients to avoid spreading during treatment.

Hà Nội’s Xanh Pôn Hospital has recorded 84 cases including five in a severe condition on ventilator support.

According to deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Trường Sơn, Adenovirus disease is an endemic infectious disease that has been circulating since the 50s and is a group B infectious disease. Adenovirus is only the 6th most common cause of viral pneumonia in children.

Paediatric patients infected with Adenovirus have symptoms of high fever continuously for three to four days and are poor responding to antipyretic drugs. Children with immunodeficiency diseases, underlying diseases are at risk of pneumonia and respiratory failure.

This virus has high resistance and tolerance to climate or surface disinfectants compared to other viruses such as SARS- CoV-2.

Screening and treatment classification are very important to minimise the severity of patients, death, and cross-infection in treatment facilities, the deputy minister recommended.

Dr. Nguyễn Trọng Khoa, deputy head of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment under the Ministry of Health, said that it was necessary to separate patients in the clinic area. When the diagnosis was confirmed, a patient with Adenovirus must have a separate treatment room.

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Xuân Anh, an official of the Hà Nội Health Department, said that the department had quickly surveyed the number of hospital beds, ventilators and personnel to prepare an outbreak of the Adenovirus infections.

However, it is a fact that there are currently no public hospitals in Hà Nội that can test for Adenovirus but two private hospitals managed by the department, according to Xuân Anh.

Hà Nội is also not confident to respond to the maximum treatment of this disease, so the department recommended central-level hospitals to support serious patients.

Hospitals in the capital will take back other patients once they have overcome critical illness.

Testing must depend on each clinical feature such as cough, fever, respiratory inflammation, lung damage, underlying disease, especially with epidemiological factors and source of infection of patients.

The Health Ministry said that currently hospitals including the National Children's Hospital, Bạch Mai, E, Thanh Nhàn, Hà Đông and Xanh Pôn, and a number of private hospitals still ensure the number of beds to meet the treatment of patients with Adenovirus. – VNS